Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support rebuilding work in the Caribbean after Hurricane Joaquin.

Following a request from the Government of the Bahamas the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Lyme Bay was deployed to provide humanitarian assistance to the worst affected of the Family Islands. During its deployment, working in close coordination with the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency and the Royal Bahamian Defence Force, the RFA Lyme Bay was able to distribute approximately 60 tonnes of emergency stores on behalf of the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and to provide evacuation, clean-up, repair and other immediate emergency assistance on Acklins Island, Long Island, Long Cay and Crooked Islands. The RFA Lyme Bay was also able to offer valuable support for the international rapid assessment mission by accommodating on board the 19 person strong CDEMA assessment teams from 6-8 October and facilitating their access to the most affected islands.